Love Blind
by Shadowfang3000
Summary: "Though I walk through the valley of shadow and death, I shall fear no evil: for thou art with me." - Hakumen was rather surprised when he found a lone girl wandering the deserted streets of Kagutsuchi. He was even more surprised when he discovered that she was blind, and needed his help. (Non-Canon!)


(A/N) A TsubakiXHakumen fic? What is the point of this madness!? D:

The story is brief: Abyss Kurokari (Another Blazblue writer) requested that I make a fic featuring the duo. This sparked a brief recollection of an idea I had back in January that only went through the brief stages :P

Now, this'll likely remain as a oneshot. However, I do intend to leave it open for a possible continuation... Or an eventual one, judging from how many stories I SHOULD be updating (*Cough* The Old Man *Cough* Shaky Foundations *Cough-cough* The Inquisition)

And with that, here we go!

WARNING: A somewhat OOC Hakumen, Tsubaki being blind for some strange reason (I could've sworn her character was blind D:), awkward attempts at being cute, and some naughty words courtesy of Hakumen's non-existent perverted mind! :D

**Love Blind**

Hakumen couldn't have missed the woman at the other end of the dark, empty street. True, her blazing red hair and strange clothing made her stand out amongst the common peasantry around these parts, but the fact that she was calling for assistance was a large contributor.

"Hello!?" She shouted, her hand suddenly shooting to her mouth in surprise of the loudness. "Can somebody help me?" She continued quietly.

Hakumen didn't move. He didn't say anything either, in fact he didn't even breathe. He just stood and observed the stumbling girl as she advanced in his general direction, running her hand along a wall for balance.

"A-Anyone?" She whispered, her voice trembling as fear set in. "Please?"

Hakumen sighed, feeling guilty: He rarely got involved with other people, his hunt for Ragna the Bloodedge dominating his every move. He would've usually left this girl to sty, but for some reason he felt sorry for her.

Against his own will he stepped out into plain view, his footsteps echoing down the deserted road as he made his way towards her. The girl's head perked up at the sound, but she didn't look in his direction.

"W-Who was that?... Hello?" She stuttered, feeling threatened by this anonymous bystander.

How could she not see him? He wasn't exactly hard to miss, being more than 2 metres worth of metal and muscle clothed in the purest of white. He continued his advance, still silent much to the girl's discomfort.

"... Will you help me?" She begged rather than asked, finally turning to face the behemoth of a man. Hakumen was met with a pair of pale blue sapphires.

Disturbingly pale in fact.

_She was blind._

"... If you're here to help me, thank you." She smiled pleasantly, bowing her head awkwardly as she leant against the cold brick wall. Hakumen folded his arms, still wishing to avoid a conversation for some reason.

_He shouldn't have even been there; he had no time for such trivialities._

"What's wrong?" His firm voice boomed, visibly causing the red-head before him to flinch. Her head tilted down and her dead eyes stared at her feet, seemingly embarrassed to admit the truth.

"It appears... I've gotten lost." She sighed, a chuckle hidden in there somewhere. She stumbled forward another step towards Hakumen, looking into his chest believing that was where his face was. "I was hoping someone could lead me out of here."

Hakumen had to admit, he felt sorry for the woman. How on earth did she even arrive in such a strange location? Wasn't anyone with her originally?

He recalled where they were: One of the rougher areas in the lower levels of the mystical 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. There were many robbers, beggars and murderers in the dark depths of the slums, and he expected the worst for the fate of this girl's friends.

She sounded and dressed like someone from the higher levels, and stood out like a sore thumb amongst the grumbly, dirt-caked inhabitants of the hell-hole they were standing in. He'd probably just escort her to one of the middle-class sections of the city, and then leave her on her way to find her home.

But wouldn't that just be heartless?

Since when did hearts have any involvement in this? She was just a stranger wandering the lonesome road, not a close friend or relative.

_She was rather beautiful though._

"... Did you leave?" She gasped in the long silence, her hands suddenly swatting the air to try and find him. He suppressed an annoyed grumble at his daydreaming, and spoke up once more.

"I shall lead you to the higher levels." He said powerfully, doing his best to tone it down to a more considerate tone. Not as shaken as last time, the girl simply nodded, and began to slowly make her way forward. Her fingers tapped against the freezing concrete of the wall as she awkwardly made her way towards him.

"Hold on a moment please, I'm coming..." She said confidently, licking her drying lips in concentration. Hakumen admired the girl's efforts, but she was just being foolish.

He extended his arm.

"Hold onto my hand, I will lead the way." He rumbled, realising that his hand was almost twice the size of hers. A sudden shade of red filled her face, combining anger and embarrassment.

"I-I don't need to hold your hand, I'm perfectly fine!" She shouted quickly, hastening her march only to be blocked by the large torso of the White Samurai.

_He was only doing this to ease the journey._

"No you are not, I insist Miss." He offered his hand once more, suddenly realising his proximity to the girl. He could practically feel the calm, gentle breaths emerging from her as she pondered his offer.

"... Okay..." She reluctantly agreed. She slowly stretched her hand forward and caught an uneasy grip on a single one of his large fingers. He was going to protest, but he realised that getting the girl to do this much was already challenging enough. Her head turned away from him, as if ignoring their physical contact.

_Why was she blushing so much?_

"Let's go, before morning comes." Hakumen said, tugging her arm forward and moving at his naturally fast pace. The girl stumbled almost instantly, her grip on his finger breaking loose and falling to her knees with a yelp.

"My apologies." He mumbled calmly, his voice not displaying his true concern for the red-headed woman. He knelt down to her level to assess her status, pleased that she landed softly and securely. However, with her hands planted for balance on the cracked street tiles, she was in no position to stand back up without help.

"N-No, that was my fault... I'm sorry..." She muttered sadly, her flowing hair shielding her face from view. Hakumen grumbled at the girl's words:

_She was so naive in her politeness._

"I moved without informing you, it was I who was at fault." Hakumen replied, sounding surprisingly caring compared to his usual stoic, monotonous tone. "You must hold onto my hand firmly this time to ensure it doesn't happen again. I will make sure to move slower for you also."

When he offered his hand, she didn't reach out for it. In fact, she barely even acknowledged it.

"Miss?" He inquired, his metaphorical eyebrow raised. "Please grab hold of my hand."

She shook her head, her cheeks blending in with her crimson locks. Her mouth was quivering, the thin layer of confidence she had barely minutes before having dissolved in a matter of moments.

"U-Ummm... I..." She began, sniffling childishly.

What was wrong with her? They were two adults, not a pair of dorky teenagers on their first date. Hakumen leant forward further, the girl feeling his presence and reeling back slightly.

"Either hold onto my hand." He began, launching his ace in the hole. "Or I'll have to carry you."

Her soft face expressed her thoughts clearly. She wished to preserve what dignity she had left, and would rather walk hand-in-hand with the towering Samurai than be carried like a coward to her destination. She shakily raised her arm, and placed her small hands near his.

"... I'll do it." She said, sudden determination becoming evident. Hakumen clenched her hand gently and enveloped it in his fist, surrounding her delicate palms in his warmth. He assisted in helping her gain her footing, but she did most of the work herself in a burst of energy.

If Hakumen could smile, it'd be blinding.

Their grips on one another secure, the two slowly set off.

X

An hour in to their trek, not a single word had been traded. Having grown tired over the distance, the girl had changed from awkwardly holding onto Hakumen's hand to intimately wrapping her arms around his. She leant her light head against him, her mouth twisted into a gentle smile as her eyes sealed close.

Hakumen had to admit, he felt a strange sense of comfort with this girl alongside him. An unfamiliar but soothing warmth filled his body as the girl's grip tightened, sharing her body heat with him.

Perhaps he was in love?

... Nah, that's just nonsense.

_At least that's what he was telling himself._

The girl absentmindedly shifted her grip, her small breasts rubbing against his arm softly. Hakumen took no real notice of the action, nor did he take notice of the red filling his masked face.

"Can you tell me your name, sir?" The girl asked out of the blue, her eyes still closed and her expression serene as they marched through the dawn.

"Hakumen." He replied curtly, dispensing with the pleasantries.

_He wasn't in love._

"Hakumen? That's a nice name... Thank you very much Hakumen, I don't know what I would've done without you." She thanked, nuzzling closer to him affectionately.

He wasn't going to ask her for her name, his blinded mind insisting that he had no interest in the girl. Nevertheless, she shared her identity with him.

"My name is Tsubaki Yayoi." She revealed, her grip loosening slightly to try and comfort the lumbering man.

_Tsubaki _He thought. _A beautiful name for a beautiful girl._

_And a girl that he felt for._

"We should reach the next floor within the hour." Hakumen said, changing the subject. Tsubaki removed her head from him to look in his general direction, her face almost looking disappointed. Sighing softly, she leant against him once more.

"Mmm." She acknowledged, seemingly understanding Hakumen's discomfort from intuition alone. They remained in this awkward silence for quite some time, the only exchanges being quick apologies when Tsubaki stumbled abruptly or when she wished to stop to recuperate her strength.

When they reached one of the richer districts of Kagutsuchi, Hakumen led the sightless girl to a nearby NOL centre. While he certainly stood out as odd by the NOL Officers stationed there, they were more interested in the girl he had in tow.

"Isn't she one of those missing students?" An elderly Constable asked, surrounded by papers and reports hastily being diverted to other outposts around the city. A couple of mumbles later, the Constable confirmed his assumption and thanked the White Knight for his returning of the young woman.

"We'll get her back up top, thank you sir." He said distantly, not really putting any effort into hiding his uneasy glare. Hakumen took no notice, having long since adjusted to insecure looks and general fear directed towards him. Tsubaki didn't leave his side instantly, her grip autonomously tightening around him as the Constable extended his arm and spoke.

"Come on, let's get you home lass." He smiled, his yellow teeth emerging from the veil of his large moustache. Hakumen slowly pulled away from the girl, her arms reluctantly uncurling from him and her expression heartbreaking.

She didn't want to leave him.

"H-Hakumen..." She whispered, her lifeless eyes piercing his soul. Hakumen turned and left, not bothering to say goodbye. The door gave a loud creak as he prodded it open, alerting the blind beauty to his location. "Wait!"

For some reason Hakumen stopped. It could have just been a natural response to the command, though it may have been his conflicted mind begging him to stay alongside the girl. He turned around to see her clumsily running towards him, her features bent into a truly heartbroken expression. The Constable was just as shocked, amazed to see her running away despite her hampered sight.

However, she didn't know when to stop, and was roughly halted by the firm body of the towering Samurai. Hakumen easily took the force, looking down to see her holding onto him tightly.

"... Aren't you going to say goodbye?" She asked, looking past him in confusion but aiming the question directly at his mind; A perfectly aimed bullet at his target.

"I hate long goodbyes." He replied stiffly, practically squeezing out the words. The girl could do much better than be with a man like him; he was just a monster fuelled by the need to kill others. She deserved a normal life with a good boy, up in the higher levels with her people.

Tsubaki's cheeks were filled with the blush she always seemed to have around him, her pale eyes watering under the concept that she may never see her saviour again. How did she find such strong feelings for a man she'd only known for a few hours?

"I... I still haven't rewarded you for saving me, have I?" She whispered, almost inaudible to Hakumen's already quite sensitive ears. He didn't need a reward: He never required money or goods; his tool of trade was his blade.

Suddenly he felt something warm, gentle, and soothing touching his chin.

He looked down; confused as to where this sensation was coming from.

Tsubaki had just kissed him.

Briefly, and lightly, but that didn't change anything.

A mischievous smirk filled her lips as she backed away. The Constable jogged to her side and grabbed her hand, eyebrow raised as to what she just did. She knew it wasn't Hakumen holding onto her, the feeling of the Constable's palm rough and foreign to her.

"Oi, let's go already." He grumbled, tugging rather roughly at her arm. Hakumen frowned, displeased by their parting but still hopeful.

_Hope?_

_He'd never felt hope before._

"Goodbye, Tsubaki Yayoi. May our paths cross again." Hakumen muttered, prompting a smile from the girl as she struggled to maintain her footing.

"They will, I promise!" She giggled, a jolly grin filling her face as she left the room with the man. Hakumen continued through the exit to the outside street a few seconds later, gazing at the rising sun from the NOL outpost.

He couldn't help but chuckle. It was a strange sensation, but certainly an enjoyable one.

Somehow he knew that he wouldn't be alone again.

Because now he had someone to call his own.

"_Though I walk through the valley of the shadow and death, I shall fear no evil: __for__ thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort."_

Psalm 23:4

(A.N) Well, that was fun to write! :P

I wrote a large amount of this whilst simultaneously watching an MGR Stream, so excuse me for any spelling mistakes xD

I hope you enjoy this, Abyss! :)


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